First, make sure you’re using Rosuvastatin (Crestor) which has the lowest rate of muscle aches (myalgia). I got myalgia with Simvastatin (Zocor) which went away when I switched. If you are taking Rosuvastatin and still have myalgia, consider a new drug called Bempedoic Acid (Nexletol), which targets a completely different pathway, so no myalgia. Or a PCSK9 inhibitor (Repatha- injection every 2 weeks; or Inclisiran- injection every 6 months). Actually, a combination of a PCSK9 inhibitor plus Bempedoic Acid would probably work better than either alone.
Whatever you do, don’t just endure the pain, you can damage your muscles.
Here’s an Evidencehunt.com (pubmed chatbot) question I asked:
‘Does rosuvastatin have the least myalgia among statins?’
Answer: According to the available search results, there is evidence suggesting that rosuvastatin may have a lower risk of myalgia compared to atorvastatin and simvastatin. One study found that carriers of certain genetic variations in the SLCO1B1 gene, which is involved in the hepatic uptake of statins, had increased myopathic complaints when taking simvastatin but not rosuvastatin [23708174].
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The hard part for me is that I am unsure whether it is the statin or just normal aches and pains or both. It seems if I do something wrong like sitting with bad posture or crossing my legs, the pain shows up quicker and more intensely than before. In the middle of the day, after I’ve been moving around a while, the pain disappears. It seems to be more intense in the morning and night. I take my statin at night after dinner. Is this myalgia?
For me, myalgia showed up as pretty much constant low-level pain in my muscles. You can do a simple experiment by stopping statins for a few weeks and see if the pain disappears.
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Agetron
#85
The older you are with a score if zero… coronary artery calcium (CAC) score to rule out obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). From the study… 6% (174 of 2737) of those aged 60 to 69 years.
Although a CAC score of 0 was associated with a substantial reduction in the likelihood of obstructive CAD in older patients, the diagnostic value of a CAC score of 0 was smaller in younger patients. In patients who were younger than 60 years.
Nice! Happy with my zero score at 65 years old. The odds favor me significantly.
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Once again, I have run into age discrimination by the medical profession. The article directs me to the “online risk calculator” Which has an upper limit of 79 years. Yes, I know that there are not many studies for people over 79. I have run into this figure before. My own doctor says, and I am only very slightly paraphrasing: “Why do you give a sh*t, you’re playing with house money?”
It seems to be the general consensus of researchers and doctors.
Now that rapamycin is here, they may have to change their tune.
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KarlT
#87
@desertshores we appreciate that you are out there in front of us scouting out the unknown territory of old age altered by Rapa.
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